1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to apparatus for pumping fish from nets and the like into holds of fishing vessels and, in particular to a fish guidance valve adapted to be attached to a pump intake.
2. Prior Art
For many years transfer of fish from a purse seine or a similar net to the hold of a fishing vessel has, traditionally, been accomplished by means of a brailer, use of which is very difficult and also results in serious loss of fish and damage to net and brailing gear.
Of recent years pump apparatus has been developed which permits the fish to be pumped directly from the net into the hold of the boat. In some types of pump apparatus, large pumps have been installed on the deck of the fishing vessel from which a suction hose can be extended into the net which is drawn along side the boat and the fish then pumped into the vessels hold. In other types of pump apparatus the pump itself is suspended in the concentration of fish and has a suction opening through which fish are drawn and which are then pumped upwards into the hold through a discharge hose.
In both types of pump apparatus the suction opening is normally bell-mouthed and is provided with a screen, the openings of which are of a size sufficient to allow fish to pass through but prevent passage of the net and large objects. The screen openings must be several times larger than the fish being pumped so that more than two fish can go through the opening at one time to prevent jamming and also to allow small fish to pass through cross-wise. The large openings thus allow the passage of large predatory fish, such as dog fish, which can pass through either tail first or head first. As with most pumps of this nature of the centrifugal type, dog fish which pass into the suction opening of the pump tail first very often "ball up" in the vanes of the centrifugal pump and can jam the pump or the hose.